Traffic and Parking
adds new F spaces.
Ross Neltner picked up his
performance and took it to his
old team Saturday.
See News, page 3
See Sports, page8
Do students truly
appreciate Martin
Luther King Jr.’s
legacy?
See Opinion, page 6
TODAY’s Weather
Mostly Cloudy, 47/33
Extended forecast, page 2
THE VOICE OF VANDERBILT SINCE 1888
M o nday, j anuary 21, 2008 • 120 TH YEAR, NO. 6
THE WALL
election update
McCain wins South Carolina;
Romney wins Nevada; Clinton,
Obama share spoils in Nevada
compiled by adam weinstein
This week
‘Let’s Talk About
Sex’
Members of the
Vanderbilt Feminists
will be on the Wall to
create awareness and
empower the campus
through factual
information about
gender and sex.
MANAGERIAL
STUDIES
WANTED
Today
Panel discussion
A panel discussion
organized by
Vanderbilt School of
Nursing and Vanderbilt
School of Medicine will
discuss Martin Luther
King Jr. as a part of
the Commemorative
Series.
Today
VSVS informational
meeting
A meeting will be
held for Vanderbilt
Student Volunteers
for Science. Come
learn about a great
service opportunity
for students of all
majors that requires
fewer than 10 hours
commitment per
semester. It will be
held at 5 p.m. in
Stevenson 5502.
Today
Martin Luther King
Jr. Day candlelight
vigil
Toure, an American
novelist, music
journalist, cultural
critic and BET
correspondent, will
give a talk at 5 p.m.,
following the opening
reception. After the
lecture, there will
be a performance
by Voices of Praise,
followed by a
candlelight vigil at 6
p.m. in Benton Chapel.
Tuesday, Jan. 22
Roe v. Wade
discussion
Tuesday is the 35th
anniversary of the
Supreme Court
decision of Roe
v. Wade. Join the
Vanderbilt Feminists
to discuss and learn
more about this
case at 6 p.m. in the
Margaret Cuninggim
Women’s Center.
Tuesday, Jan. 22
Alpha Kappa Psi
information session
Alpha Kappa Psi
professional business
fraternity will
hold a spring rush
information session in
the Buttrick Hall lobby
from 7-9 p.m.
See http://calendar.vanderbilt.edu
for more events.
Managerial studies program proves popular among students;
courses, faculty to expand.
by lily chen
Staff Reporter
Vanderbilt’s relatively new managerial studies
program is receiving rapidly growing interest from
students.
“Over-demand for classes is a big issue for us,”
said Meg Risen, the administrative assistant for the
managerial studies program. “So many students are
interested in taking courses that not everyone can get
in.”
According to economics professor William Damon,
in the 2005 fall semester managerial studies courses
had a total enrollment of 451 students, but this spring
1,561 students are taking classes.
“While 60 percent of the freshman demand was
satisfied, 348 students who requested managerial
studies courses were not satisfied this semester,”
Damon said.
In order to accommodate the influx of students, the
department is looking to hire more faculty members
and offer more sections for existing courses. Recently,
they hired full-time accounting professor Alice
Goodyear to reduce the size of the existing accounting
classes.
“We’ve lost one faculty member at the end of the fall
semester, but we’ve gotten retired Owen alumni to take
on 32 students in the leadership course,” said Dean
of the College of Arts and Science Richard McCarty.
“However, 137 students requested the course, so we
need to work on expanding sections.”
Also, some faculty members have agreed to expand
classes and open more sections to satisfy the demand,
Damon said.
“Most likely, students who were bumped from
classes this semester will definitely get in next semester,”
McCarty said. “We want to be ahead of the demand.”
Managerial studies faculty members are all adjunct
professors, meaning they are working professionals
with full-time jobs and first-hand experience, Risen
said.
“We’re business people who understand the needs
of the customer, who may be the student or the
parent,” said adjunct associate professor Cherrie Clark.
“Professors who have had careers in the business world
bring realism and credibility to their classes.”
There are many aspects of the managerial studies
program that attract students.
“I’ve always been interested in marketing as a job,”
said freshman Kelly Jones. “Being in the program and
getting a minor in managerial studies will help me do
that.”
Freshman Adrian Rossi-Mastracci said he wants to
keep his options open.
“I wanted to take accounting to feel around and see
where it takes me,” he said.
As for the future of the managerial studies program,
Damon said there may be a minor in entrepreneurship,
and they are hoping to hire a faculty member to develop
relationships with corporate partners to offer more
internship opportunities for students.
However, McCarty does not predict there will be a
business major in the future.
“We want to provide students with a competitive
edge but not dilute the liberal arts experience, so the
program will remain a minor,” he said. ■
— Lily Chen can be reached at lily.z.chen@vanderbilt.edu
Grade deflation a myth
by jane zhao
Contributing Reporter
Complaints and rumors
about the grading system
abound. Students worry
frantically about their
chances of being able to
successfully enter the job
force, or even further their
education, with grade point
averages so much lower
than their counterparts at
other schools.
But students have no need
to worry. Instead of facing a
grade deflation problem, the
College of Arts and Science
is actually encountering a
slight problem with grade
inflation, said Dean Richard
McCarty.
The average under-
graduate GPA in 2005, as
reported in The Hustler,
was 3.2. Since then,
McCarty estimated that the
GPA has risen about “3 to
5 hundredths of a decimal
point a year.”
Vanderbilt’s
four
undergraduate
colleges
constantly evaluate the
average GPA and try to keep
it stable, and while this does
mean a lack of inflation, it
also does not equate any
sort of deflation.
The
university
is
attempting to avoid the
criticism
other
elitist
schools have received for
their problematic grade
inflation. In a 2004 New
York Times article, it was
reported that at 11 top-20
institutions, including the
eight Ivys, 44 percent to 59
percent of undergraduate
grades were As. And a Yale
Daily News survey found
the median GPA for the
Class of 2006 to be between
a 3.6 and 3.7.
The fact that peers at both
public and private schools
go through less stress and
complete less work to get
As has not escaped many
students.
“I think it’s much more
difficult (here) than where
my friends go to school,”
said senior Ashley Adams.
On the other hand, grades
from Vanderbilt receive less
scrutiny, something the
university is proud of.
“A lot of schools tell
students that if they go to
their school, they will get
As throughout their years
there, but later, when
they go find jobs, (the
employers) won’t know
if the grades are actually
credible,” said Russell
McIntire Jr., associate dean
of the College of Arts and
Science. “We try to give
students what they earn.”
McCarty stressed that the
university was not trying to
lower students’ GPAs.
“It’s a collaboration. We
don’t try to give students
bad grades,” McCarty said.
“It’s not an us-versus-them
attitude.” ■
—Jane Zhao can be reached
at jane.y.zhao@vanderbilt.
edu
Sen. John McCain won a hard-fought
South Carolina primary Saturday night,
avenging a bitter personal defeat in a bastion
of conservatism and gaining ground in
an unpredictable race for the Republican
presidential nomination. Democrats Hillary
Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama split
the spoils in Nevada caucuses marred by late
charges of dirty politics.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” McCain told
The Associated Press in an interview. The man
whose campaign was left for dead six months
ago quickly predicted that victory in the first
southern primary would help him next week
when Florida votes, and again on Feb. 5 when
more than two dozen states hold primaries
and caucuses.
Please see primaries, page 5
New Greek
community
members
face alcohol
troubles
by nikki bogopolskaya
Staff Reporter
With a new semester and new Greek members
come new problems, says the Office of Greek Life.
Despite several rules governing newmember activities, chapters are encountering
troubles with the Office of Greek Life, whose
responsibility is to work with chapters in
properly and appropriately implementing their
new member programs.
According to an e-mail sent on Tuesday to
new member educators in Panhellenic Council
sororities by Assistant Director of Greek Life
Tanner Marcantel, “We have had some new
members go to the emergency room already for
the over-consumption of alcohol.”
Kristin Torrey, director of Greek Life, refused
to divulge details on the incident or confirm
the existence of the incident itself for “privacy
reasons,” though she did provide information
on the rules governing Greek organizations and
problems they have previously encountered.
alex holmes / The Vanderbilt Hustler
New members of the Greek community were officially welcomed last
weekend as bids were extended.
“Historically, we have had challenges
regarding new-member activities, especially
during the beginning of the new-member
education period,” said Torrey. “(In the past),
chapters have been sanctioned for hosting
informal events with alcohol where new
members have become intoxicated. Chapters
have also been sanctioned for violating the
hazing policy.”
Please see greek community, page 3
2
Monday, January 21, 2008 The Vanderbilt Hustler www.insidevandy.com
what’s new on i nside v andy. com
THE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
weATher
starting
compiled by adam weinstein
tuesday
1
compiled by adam weinstein
Health secretary sees continued divide on
health care in 2008
Rain/Snow, 40/22
wednesday
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration’s health agenda this year
will consist largely of fending off Democratic lawmakers until a new
president and Congress take charge, The Associated Press reported.
In a preview of what’s ahead, Health and Human Services
Secretary Mike Leavitt says the administration will work to limit the
government’s role in the delivery of health care.
2
Mostly Sunny, 40/22
thursday
Partly Cloudy, 29/21
VUPD CRIME LOG
compiled by adam weinstein
Tuesday, Jan. 15, 1:40 a.m.:
Subject was found intoxicated and
unconscious by the resident adviser in
East Hall. He was transported to the
emergency department.
Tuesday, Jan. 15, 3:59 p.m.:
Subject claimed he was being
assaulted by a taxi driver while
walking through a parking garage.
Wednesday, Jan. 16, 12:53 a.m.:
Subject was stopped for failing
to yield to a pedestrian. Subject
admitted her license was suspended,
and a check showed that her license
was revoked.
Check out http://police.vanderbilt.edu/
crimelog.htm for complete listings.
SERVICE GUIDE
The Vanderbilt Hustler (ISSN
0042-2517), the student newspaper of Vanderbilt University, is published every Monday, Wednesday
and Friday during the academic
year except for during exam periods and vacations. The paper is not
printed during summer break.
The Vanderbilt Hustler allocates
one issue of the newspaper to
each student and is available at
various points on campus for free.
Additional copies are $.50 each.
The Vanderbilt Hustler is a
division of Vanderbilt Student
Communications, Inc. Copyright
© 2004 Vanderbilt Student Communications.
Location
The Hustler offices are in 130
Sarratt Student Center on the
Vanderbilt University Campus.
Address postal mail to VU Station
B 351504, Nashville, Tenn. 372351504.
Affiliations
The Hustler is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, Columbia Scholastic Press Association,
College Newspaper Business and
Advertising Managers, Southern
University Newspapers and the
Southeastern Journalism Conference and is an associate member
of the Associated Press.
To Advertise
Display ads: (615) 322-4237 or
e-mail advertising@vanderbilthu
stler.com
Display fax: (615) 322-3762
Office hours are 10 a.m. — 5 p.m.,
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Visit us online at http://www.
vscmedia.org/advertising.html
To Report a News Item
Campus news: Call 322-2424 or email news@vanderbilthustler.com
Entertainment news: Call 343-0967
or e-mail vibe@vanderbilthustler.
com
Sports results: Call 343-0967 or email sports@vanderbilthustler.com
Corrections
The Hustler strives for accuracy
and fairness and will correct errors
of substance. See our correction
policy on the Opinion page for
information about notifying us.
Printer
The Hustler is printed at Franklin
Web Printing Company in Franklin,
Tenn.
Subscription Rates
Call (615) 343-3064 9 a.m. — 5
p.m., Monday — Friday.
One semester’s delivery via U.S.
Postal Service is available for $125
or $200 per year. Checks should be
made payable to The Vanderbilt
Hustler.
Back Issues
Back issues are available in Sarratt
130 during business hours.
Israeli airstrike kills 2 Hamas militants in
Gaza
• Vote in the second round of “Who’s Now?” Derrick Byars
Regional until Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 5 p.m.
• View a slideshow of illusionist Craig Karges’ performance at
the Student Life Center as part of Casino Night.
• Listen to Editor in Chief Jarred Amato and Sports Editor Andrew Hard discuss the Commodores’ performance Saturday
in their “Three and Out” podcast.
• Watch Gaby Roman’s video of Israeli folk dancing at the Ben
Schulman Center for Jewish Life.
—Check InsideVandy.com often for more Web-exclusive content.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli aircraft killed two Hamas militants in
Gaza fighting early Saturday, according to The Associated Press, and
Palestinians lobbed three rockets into Israel, a day after Israel sealed
the borders and bombed an empty Hamas building.
Despite intense fighting in the region over the past four days,
rocket fire appeared to ease Saturday. A day earlier, 16 rockets hit
southern Israel.
snapshot
3
Bush promotes economic package worth
as much as $150 billion
4
Vanderbilt hosts Iraqi trial panel
Giving a piece of the game
WASHINGTON — President Bush said Saturday “the kind of spending
projects that would have little immediate impact on our economy”
should not be part of any stimulus package, setting the stage for a
possible clash with Democrats.
Bush and the Democratic-controlled Congress are emphasizing
their desire to work together as they rush negotiations on a shortterm measure to prevent the economy from falling into recession,
The Associated Press reported. But while there is broad agreement
that one-time tax rebates for consumers will be part of the package,
there are different priorities at work for the rest of the measure.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The judges who presided over the Anfal
genocide proceedings, including the president of the Iraqi High
Tribunal and the presiding judge of Trial Chamber II, are coming to
Vanderbilt Law School Jan. 31 to participate in a panel discussion,
which will provide analysis of the case, Vanderbilt News Service
reported.
Many survivors of Anfal live in the Nashville area.
Nashville is home to the largest settlement of Kurds in the U.S.,
and panel members also plan to visit with the Kurdish community
while in town.
5
Historic marker dedicated for Janis Joplin’s
childhood home in Port Arthur, Texas
6
Obama appeals for unity at King’s church,
Clinton gets Harlem church leader’s
endorsement
PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Janis Joplin’s laugh still rings in the memory
of a childhood friend.
At a gathering to dedicate a historic marker in front of one of
the singer’s childhood homes, The Associated Press said, Monteel
Copple recalled her friend’s laugh as they tried to keep their skirts in
place while hanging upside down on the school’s monkey bars.
Saturday would have been Joplin’s 65th birthday. She died of a
drug overdose Oct. 4, 1970.
ATLANTA — Barack Obama called Sunday for unity to overcome the
country’s problems and acknowledged that “none of our hands
are clean” when it comes to healing divisions, The Associated
Press reported. Hillary Rodham Clinton picked up a Harlem church
leader’s endorsement.
Heading into the most racially diverse contest yet in the
presidential campaign, Obama took to the pulpit at Martin Luther
King Jr.’s Ebenezer Baptist Church on the eve of the federal holiday
marking the civil rights hero’s birth 79 years ago.
7
Oscar nominations arrive, but will show
go on with strike?
8
Tennessee employers shun ID database
9
Shiites head home from Iraqi festival
after a relatively peaceful Ashoura
LOS ANGELES — Film fans finally will soon learn who’s competing for
this season’s Academy Awards. Now all we need to know is whether
any nominees will turn up for the show amid the writers strike.
According to The Associated Press, without the cooperation of
the striking Writers Guild of America, celebrities might honor the
union’s picket lines and stay away from the Oscars, leaving the
show’s planners to either scrap the telecast or come up with some
new form of Oscar ceremony.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When Tennessee’s new law penalizing
employers who knowingly hire illegal workers went into effect Jan.
1, the state gave companies a clear way to avoid the law’s serious
consequences: Use the E-Verify system.
Despite that incentive, The Tennessean reported, the number of
Tennessee employers who use the federal identity check database
remains minute. Of Tennessee’s 117,903 private employers, 543
have registered to use E-Verify, according to numbers released Jan.
12 by the Department of Homeland Security. That’s up from 214 a
year ago.
BAGHDAD — Hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims clambered
aboard buses or began trekking homeward on foot Saturday at the
end of Ashoura, a 10-day ritual to cleanse the spirit and scourge the
body in honor of their founding saint.
The high holy days in Karbala passed absent the slaughter of
pilgrims witnessed in the years since the U.S.-led invasion nearly
half a decade ago, but militants did assault gatherings of Ashoura
worshippers elsewhere, according to The Associated Press.
francis simpson / The Vanderbilt Hustler
Dance Marathon team leaders present game balls to two representative “miracle families” at Saturday’s basketball game against LSU.
Dance Marathon raises money for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt through a 14-hour, all-night event in February.
www.insidevandy.com The Vanderbilt Hustler
New F Lot opens on corner
of Blakemore, Natchez
154 new spots
alleviate some
parking issues.
3
greek
community:
Chapters, students to
be held accountable
From greek community, page 1
by jarred amato
Editor in Chief
For students living on
Highland Quad, parking just
got a little easier.
A new F Lot with 154 spots
opened officially today on the
corner of Blakemore Avenue
and Natchez Trace.
“The hope is that this will
help ease some of the parking
problems around Highland
as it is a relatively short walk
and a better alternative than
parking over behind the
(Vanderbilt University Police
Department) lot,” said Arts
and Science Senator Alan
Dyer, a senior.
With the opening of The
Commons next year, more
upperclassmen will be living
on main campus, which is why
Lance Hale, manager of the
Office of Traffic and Parking,
said it was important to add
more spots.
“We’re constantly looking
to future needs,” he said. “We
determined we needed more
spaces because of the expected
increase in upperclassmen,
and we brought it about.”
Construction began in
August and concluded late
last week, Hale said.
“The lot was definitely the
result of student leaders within
VSG and elsewhere continually
Monday, January 21, 2008
sam kim / The Vanderbilt Hustler
Crowded parking lots and the expectation of more upperclassmen parking on main campus next year led to the creation of a new parking lot
on the corner of Blakemore Avenue and Natchez Trace.
going to the monthly Traffic
and Parking meetings and
setting up committee meetings
to voice the thoughts and
concerns of our on-campus
students,” Dyer said.
Senior Ally Scott, who lives
in Morgan, said she thinks the
new spots will be extremely
popular.
“The people on Highland
Quad will love it if there are
150 extra parking spaces,”
Scott said.
Scott also said she expects
the new lot will be beneficial
for students who drive to the
Student Recreation Center.
At the same time, students
who do not live on Highland
Quad are not receiving the
additional spaces with as
much excitement.
Junior Matt Phillips, who
lives in Towers, said the new
lot does not make the parking
situation any better for himself
or others who routinely
struggle to find spots near
their dorms.
“I think the problem with
the F permit is that it is just
too broad,” he said.
Both Dyer and Hale agreed
that although the new lot was
not ideal, it was significant
nonetheless.
“It’s not a perfect solution,
but this is probably the best
given the circumstances and
restraints, and I’m pretty
happy about it,” Dyer said.
“Hopefully it will be a good
alternative, and students will
use it.”
“This was the best option
available to us at the current
time,” Hale said.
Hale added that the
approximately 20 parking
spaces on Children’s Way
in front of Blair will now be
designated Zone 3 only. ■
—Jarred Amato can be reached
at jarred.s.amato@vanderbilt.
edu
Hot chocolate heads off hypothermia
According to Torrey, sanctions have ranged from educational
and social probations to suspension from the university.
Marcantel confirmed the former in the e-mail, saying, “Last
time we had our new members involved in alcohol-related
incidents, we canceled all sorority social events for the rest of the
semester.”
According to the Office of Greek Life and governing bodies
for each chapter — the Interfraternity Council, National PanHellenic Council and Panhellenic Council — alcohol is not
permitted at any new-member activity such as Bid Day or big
brother/big sister revealing.
Chapters are not allowed to formally or informally celebrate
new members with alcohol — this includes activities that involve
the entire chapter as well as smaller gatherings that could be
considered a chapter event because of the number of members
present.
“All chapters are required to sign an anti-hazing statement
and submit their new-member program for review prior to the
beginning of the new-member education process,” Torrey said.
Neither Torrey nor Marcantel answered inquiries asking whether
the violations of the alcohol policy actually occurred, nor were
they willing to confirm or deny any details about them. However,
Torrey stated that issues of new-member alcohol consumption
are taken very seriously by the Office of Greek Life.
“Chapters and individual students have been and will be held
accountable,” Torrey said. ■
—Nikki Bogopolskaya can be reached at veronika.bogopolskaya@
vanderbilt.edu
Interested in
writing for
The Hustler?
Come to
Sarratt 130
Wednesday at
5 p.m.
The Department of Psychology
at Vanderbilt University
is looking for subjects
to participate in research studies.
You will be compensated for your time.
Studies examine aspects of cognition, emotion and brain functioning.
To find out more about participating in studies,
see http://vanderbilt.sona-systems.com/
sam kim / The Vanderbilt Hustler
Vanderbilt Student Government, CHEERS, GAMMA and the Office of Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drug Prevention
sponsored a hot chocolate giveaway to raise awareness about hypothermia.
Students encouraged to
increase civic involvement
GLBT issues
center of event.
by sydney wilmer
Senior Reporter
The Vanderbilt Lambda
Association, in conjunction
with Nashville’s the Tennessee
Equality Project, asked students
registered to vote in Tennessee
to take their civic involvement
to the next level — lobbying
for gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender rights in state
legislature.
Lambda’s publicity chair
and organizer of “Lobbying
101,” Sara Nou, said she began
working with TEP last year
and hopes Vanderbilt students
will consider lobbying as well,
especially in the organization’s
upcoming Advancing Equality
Day in mid-February.
“It would have a huge impact
on legislators to see Vanderbilt
students, who are headed
somewhere in their careers,
fighting for these issues,” she
said. “Nashville wants to keep
bright students like Vanderbilt
students in their community.”
It will mean something to them
to see these students concerned
about this issue, she said.
The session briefed students
on both the issues facing the
GLBT community and how
lobbying can protect GBLT
rights. Klint Peebles, president
of Lambda, said the purpose
of the event was to educate
members of both Lambda and
the community on how the
process works, from etiquette to
the key players in the Tennessee
legislature.
Though the lobbying will
take place during classes, Nou
said she hope some students
will consider going downtown
to Legislative Plaza.
The sheer presence of bodies
can be enough to make an
impact, she said. ■
—Sydney Wilmer can be reached
at sydney.e.wilmer@vanderbilt.
edu
sam kim / The Vanderbilt Hustler
The Vanderbilt Lambda Association and the Tennessee Equality Project sponsored“Lobbying 101”
Thursday. The event discussed GLBT issues and how students can get involved in civic change.
4
Monday, January 21, 2008 The Vanderbilt Hustler www.insidevandy.com
Reconstructing St. Augustine’s
Kenyan opposition,
bloodied by protests,
calls for another day
of rallies
Associated Press
oliver wolfe / The Vanderbilt Hustler
St. Augustine’s Episcopal Chapel is undergoing some serious construction. For updates on the
work, check InsideVandy.com later this week.
L.A. Times fires editor in
dispute over budget cuts
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — The Los
Angeles Times fired its top
editor after he rejected a
management order to cut $4
million from the newsroom
budget, 14 months after his
predecessor was also ousted
in a budget dispute, the
newspaper said Sunday.
James O’Shea was fired
following a confrontation with
Publisher David D. Hiller, the
Times reported on its Web site.
The story didn’t say when the
confrontation took place.
Times spokeswoman Nancy
Sullivan said the newspaper
would have no comment.
O’Shea’s departure comes
just a month after the Times’
parent,
Chicago-based
Tribune Co., was taken private
in an $8.2 billion buyout by
real estate magnate Sam Zell.
The departure also follows
that of his predecessor, Dean
Baquet, who was forced to
resign after he opposed further
cuts to the newsroom budget
in 2006.
O’Shea, then the Chicago
Tribune’s managing editor,
was brought in to replace him.
At the time, he asked the
news staff not to see him as “the
hatchet man from Chicago” and
promised to fight to ensure the
Times would “remain a major
force in American journalism.”
“If I think there is too much
staff I will say so,” O’Shea
told the paper’s editors and
reporters in 2006. “And if I
think there is not enough I will
say that, too.”
O’Shea is the third Times
editor to leave the newspaper
since 2005, all of them
departing in disputes with
management over how much
to cut the news budget.
When Editor John Carroll
left in 2005 he was replaced
by Baquet, who was then the
Times managing editor. Hiller,
former publisher of the Tribune
who had worked with O’Shea
in Chicago, then brought him
out to replace Baquet.
Hiller had joined the Times
in 2006 after former Publisher
Jeffrey M. Johnson was ousted
for refusing to carry out budget
cuts ordered by corporate
headquarters in Chicago.
A month later, Hiller
dismissed Baquet and brought
in O’Shea to replace him. ■
NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s
opposition party, determined
to bring down President Mwai
Kibaki’s government, called
Saturday for another day of
“peaceful rallies” despite the
deaths of more than 20 people
in this week’s demonstrations.
Police took forceful action
at rallies Wednesday through
Friday protesting the Dec.
27 presidential election, but
opposition party chairman
Henry Kosgey told reporters
“we will use each and every
means to bring down Kibaki’s
government.”
Kosgey called for more rallies
on Thursday, in defiance of a
government ban and to the
disapproval of the European
Union.
“Mass meetings ... can lead
to violence,” EU Development
Commissioner Louis Michel
said, after holding what he
called “positive” meetings with
both Kibaki and opposition
leader Raila Odinga.
He said both sides “appeal to
end the violence,” and agreed to
recognize mediation efforts by
former U.N. Secretary-General
Kofi Annan.
Five more people died
in ethnic clashes Saturday.
Kalenjin, Kisii and Kikuyu
fought each other with bows and
arrows and machetes in villages
around a Catholic monastery
northwest of Nairobi. Police
said they were guarding the
monastery, where hundreds of
people have sought refuge.
Nearly 200 houses were set
ablaze in what appeared to be
an old argument about land.
More than 600 people have
been killed in Kenya’s election
violence, according to a
government commission.
U.S. Ambassador Michael
Ranneberger, citing “many
factors
and
underlying
grievances,” has compared
Kenya’s violence to the 1968
race riots in the United States.
At a town hall meeting Friday
for Americans in Nairobi,
Ranneberger said there had
been “a lot of cheating on both
sides” in the Dec. 27 elections
that pitted Kibaki against
Odinga.
The U.S. maintains there were
allegations of improprieties
on both sides that were not
properly investigated, and
Ranneberger said either Odinga
or Kibaki could have won by
120,000 votes because it was a
close election and both sides
are alleged to have rigged.
But David Throup, an
associate of the Washington
D.C.-based Center for Strategic
and International Studies, said
in a public conference call with
Ranneberger that Odinga won
by 120,000 votes.
Michel, the EU development
commissioner,
also
met
Saturday with Deputy President
Kalonzo Musyoka, and urged
him to come to an agreement
with the opposition “because
the consequence of chaos
will be so important and so
badly affect the people and the
region.” ■
www.insidevandy.com The Vanderbilt Hustler
Tricks are for
kids — and
Vandy students
chris phare / The Vanderbilt Hustler
Illusionist Craig Karges performs at Casino Night on Friday in the
Student Life Center. Students had chances to win prizes, like a
flat-screen TV and an iPod touch, in the free event sponsored by
the Vanderbilt Programming Board.
Monday, January 21, 2008
5
primaries: Clinton leads overall
delegate race 236 to Obama’s 136
From primaries, page 1
“This is one step on a long
journey,” Clinton told cheering
supporters in Las Vegas. She
captured the popular vote,
but Obama edged her out for
national convention delegates
at stake, taking 13 to her 12.
Obama issued a statement
that said he had conducted an
“honest, uplifting campaign ...
that appealed to people’s hopes
instead of their fears.”
If the Democrats had cofront-runners, the Republicans
had none, and looked to South
Carolina to begin winnowing
an unwieldy field.
McCain defeated former
Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee
in a close race in the state that
snuffed out his presidential
hopes eight years ago. The
Arizonan was gaining 33
percent of the vote to just under
30 percent for his closest rival.
“It just took us a while. That’s
all. Eight years is not a long
time,” McCain told the AP.
Appearing before supporters,
Huckabee was a gracious loser,
congratulating McCain for
“running a civil and a good and
a decent campaign.”
Far from conceding defeat in
the race, he added, “The process
is far, far from over.”
Former Tennessee Sen. Fred
Thompson was in a struggle
for third place with about
16 percent, after saying he
needed a strong showing to
sustain his candidacy. Another
Republican, California Rep.
Duncan Hunter, dropped out
even before the votes were
tallied.
Interviews
with
South
Carolina voters leaving their
polling
places
indicated
McCain, an Arizona senator,
and Huckabee were dividing
the Republican vote evenly.
As was his custom, McCain
was winning the votes of selfdescribed independents.
South Carolina was the second
half of a campaign doubleheader for Republicans.
Former Massachusetts Gov.
Mitt Romney cruised to victory
earlier in the day in the littlecontested Nevada caucuses.
Final returns showed him with
more than 50 percent support
in a multi-candidate field.
No matter the state, the
economy was the top issue in
all three races on the ballot.
Republicans in Nevada
and South Carolina cited
immigration as their second
most important concern.
Among Democrats in Nevada,
health care was the second most
important issue followed by the
Iraq war, which has dominated
the race for months.
With a black man and
a woman as the leading
contenders, the Democratic
race was history in the making
— and increasingly testy, as
well.
Before the votes were tallied,
Obama was critical of former
President Clinton, telling
reporters, “It’s hard to say what
his intentions are. But I will say
that he seems to be making a
habit of mischaracterizing what
I say.”
Obama’s campaign manager,
David Plouffe, issued a written
statement accusing the Clinton
campaign of “an entire week’s
worth of false, divisive attacks
designed to mislead caucusgoers and discredit the caucus
itself.”
Clinton declined to comment
on the allegation.
Whatever the hard feelings,
she told supporters they would
fade by the fall general election
campaign. “We will all be united
in November,” she said, as the
crowd chanted “HRC, HRC.”
Her campaign issued a
statement citing numerous
reports of voter intimidation.
It also accused UNITE HERE,
a union supporting Obama, of
running a radio commercial
that was “one of the most
scurrilous smears in recent
memory.” The ad, broadcast in
Spanish, said Clinton “does not
respect our people” and called
her shameless.
Interviews with Democratic
caucus-goers indicated that
Clinton won about half the
votes cast by whites, and twothirds support from Hispanics,
many members of a Culinary
Workers Union that had
endorsed Obama. He won
about 80 percent of the black
vote.
Overall, Clinton gained
support from about 51 percent
of caucus-goers. Obama had
the backing of 45 percent, and
Edwards had 4 percent.
Obama had pinned his
Nevada hopes on an outpouring
of support from the 60,000member Culinary union. But
it appeared that turnout was
lighter than expected at nine
caucuses established along
the Las Vegas Strip, and some
attending held signs reading,
“I support my union. I support
Hillary.”
Democrats looked next
to South Carolina to choose
between Obama, the most
viable black candidate in
history, and Clinton, seeking
to become the first woman to
occupy the White House. The
state is home to thousands of
black voters, who are expected
to comprise as much as half the
Democratic electorate.
After that, the race goes
national on Feb. 5, with
1,678 national Democratic
convention delegates at stake.
The split Democratic verdict
in Nevada resulted from the
proportional manner in which
delegates
were
awarded.
Obama emerged with one
more than Clinton because he
ran strongly in rural areas.
Overall,
Clinton
leads
the delegate race with 236,
including separately chosen
party and elected officials
known as superdelegates.
Obama has a total of 136, and
former North Carolina Sen.
John Edwards has 50.
Romney struck first on the
day among the Republicans.
The former Massachusetts
governor learned of his Nevada
victory when his wife Ann
announced it on the public
address system of his chartered
jet. “Keep ‘em coming. Keep
‘em coming,” he said.
En route to Florida, he
presented reporters with his
ambitious economic stimulus
plan, $233 billion in all. It
includes tax rebates as well as
tax cuts for individuals, as well
as tax cuts for businesses.
Mormons gave Romney
about half his votes. He is
hoping to become the first
member of his faith to win the
White House. Alone among
the Republican contenders,
Rep. Ron Paul of Texas aired
television ads in Nevada.
Paul was narrowly ahead of
McCain for second place.
Thompson and Huckabee
trailed. ■
THESE ARE
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2008
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6
Monday, January 21, 2008 The Vanderbilt Hustler www.insidevandy.com
opinion
The
Vanderbilt
Hustler
Editorial Board
Jarred Amato
Editor in Chief
elizabeth
middlebrooks
Managing Editor
sara gast
News Editor
katherine miller
Opinion Editor
andrew hard
Sports Editor
OUR VIEW
Letter
Vandy sees progress toward King’s vision ‘Our View’
In reflecting on Martin Luther King Jr.
Day, the members of the Hustler editorial
board asked ourselves several questions,
but we continued to return to one: What
would King think of Vanderbilt’s campus
today?
As an institution, Vanderbilt is one of
few need-blind universities in the nation
and is committed to providing the highest
quality of education to each student,
regardless of their ability to afford tuition.
Certainly, this pledge to education across
economic barriers should be considered a
realization of King’s vision for the nation.
As well, over the past decade, Vanderbilt
admissions have changed the face of
Vanderbilt’s undergraduate student body.
In 1995, only 4 percent of the freshman
class was black; this past year, more than
10 percent of freshmen are black — one of
the highest enrollments of blacks among
the top universities in the U.S.
Notably, however, 58 percent of students
polled for today’s Hustler responded that
Vanderbilt students do not fully appreciate
King’s legacy. Somewhat paradoxically,
this suggests we are recognizing our own
inability to properly understand and
appreciate King’s legacy.
Students polled were overwhelmingly
amenable to responding to questions,
and often began to debate the answers
with one another or provide additional
reasoning in earnest, which speaks to
the intellectual openness of Vanderbilt
students. Many who responded in this
way, particularly black students, spoke
optimistically about the diversity at
Vanderbilt and, while acknowledging the
existence of de facto segregation, seemed
to believe the separation was improving.
Of course, we can’t deny the general
feeling that students believe de facto
segregation exists on campus.
While this separation would likely sit
poorly with King, in considering his legacy,
we should not forget the largely campuswide values of service and faith. This year,
more than 400 students are participating
in Alternative Spring Break, and no one
can deny the importance of religion for
many students on campus.
Although we still have a way to go to
achieve a truly cohesive community
across racial divides, in reflecting on King’s
legacy, we should not ignore the progress
we’ve made and the values we share.
STAFF
News Editor
Sara Gast
Asst. News Editors
David Brown
Lakendra Scott
Adam Weinstein
Opinion Editor
Katherine Miller
Racial divide continues on campus
During the past week, we polled 100 students—mostly during lunchtime at Rand—about a
few issues relating to Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and race relations on campus, hoping to
gain a little more perspective on what students think about these issues.
Were you aware that
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday?
In general, do Vanderbilt students fully
appreciate Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy?
Do you feel there is de facto segregation
on Vanderbilt’s campus?
Does the Greek system create/contribute to
de facto segregation on Vanderbilt’s campus?
Asst. Opinion Editor
Spencer Montalvo
Sports Editor
Andrew Hard
Asst. Sports Editors
David Namm
David Rutz
Eric Silver
Assistant Photo Directors
Lauren Fondriest
Brett Kaminsky
Francis Simpson
Lead Photographers
Sam Kim
Chris Phare
Oliver Wolfe
Multimedia Editor
Ben Gotow
Supervising Copy Editors
Medora Brown
Hannah Twillman
Copy Editors
Taylor Davis
Madeleine Evans
Spencer Montalvo
Amy Roebuck
Aimee Sobhani
Avery Spofford
Senior Reporter
Will Gibbons
Web Director
Chris Thompson
Marketing Director
George Fischer
Advertising Manager
Madeleine Pulman
Asst. Advertising Manager
Angela Booker
Advertising Staff
Ashley Banks
Carolyn Fisher
David Gaffney
Killian Lamkin
Art Director
Matt Radford
Designers
Cassie Edwards
Madeleine Evans
Jose Garza
Emily Green
Hunter Kinsella
Katie Quille
Courtney Rogers
Avery Spofford
Morgan Webb
VSC Director
Chris Carroll
Asst. VSC Director
Jeff Breaux
Asst. VSC Director
Paige Clancy
column
Education
remains key
part of King’s
enduring
legacy
L e w is v. b a l dw i n
Guest Columnist
We too often forget Martin Luther King Jr.
was an academic and a thinker long before
he became a major advocate for creative
nonviolence and a recognizable force in
organized social protest. From the time he
matriculated at Morehouse College, which he
attended from 1944 to 1948, King highlighted
the significance of education as an avenue
to both personal fulfillment and social
transformation.
While a junior in college, he wrote what
was perhaps his first essay on “The Purpose of
Education,” focusing especially on the virtues
of intellectual and moral enlightenment.
That essay raised issues that would figure
prominently in King’s rhetoric in later years,
especially as he sought to relate education to
the quest for what he called “the American
dream” and “the beloved community.”
King’s thoughts on the processes of education
and their importance in creating what he
called “a new humanity” should be seriously
considered on several levels. First, he insisted
education is essential for the enlightenment
of the self. He praised the Greek philosopher
Socrates for his devotion to self-enlightenment,
academic freedom and the search for truth,
and he cherished the open and analytical mind
and receptivity to what he often termed “the
best lights of reason.”
Please see education, page 7
opinion POLIC Y
The Vanderbilt Hustler opinion section aims to stimulate discussion in the
Vanderbilt community. In that spirit, columnists, guest columnists and authors of
letters to the editor are expected to provide logical argument to back their views.
Unreasonable arguments, arguments in bad faith or arguments in vain between
columnists have no place in The Hustler and will not be published. The Hustler
welcomes reader viewpoints and offers three methods of expression: letters to the
editor, guest columns and feedback on our Web site.
Letters must be submitted either in person by the author to the Hustler office or
via e-mail to opinion@vanderbilthustler.com. Letters via e-mail must either come
additional contacts
Your voice doesn’t stop here.
The Vanderbilt Hustler encourages
its readers to voice their opinions on
legislative issues. The following students and legislators represent
the Vanderbilt community.
President Cara Bilotta
Vanderbilt Student Government
1542 Station B
cara.bilotta@vanderbilt.edu
Sarratt 355
(615) 322-8742
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4944
(615) 736-5129
column
King would not
frown on Greeks
da n n y n eelo n
Guest Columnist
When it comes to Martin
Luther King Jr. Day, you might be
surprised this national holiday has
only recently become a standard
practice. Made a federal holiday
in 1983, the first time all 50 states
recognized this holiday was not
until 2000. On this day at Vanderbilt,
students must still attend class,
and in the case of almost half of
the undergraduates here, must
attend the chapter meeting of their
fraternity or sorority.
It has been an issue for many
students we do not do more as
a university to honor the life of
King on this day. But what is more
important is what we are doing
to honor his message the other
364 days we are students and
citizens.
Being asked to speak for the
Greek community as a whole is
difficult. Are their flaws in our
Greek system? Of course there are
— no organization runs flawlessly.
But when asked to discuss what
King would have to say about
our Greek community, I feel his
response would be positive.
What people see as “segregation”
in the Greek system stems from
a misunderstanding of the goals
of the individual chapters. The
National Pan-Hellenic Council is
an organization of nine fraternities
and sororities created in response
to racism and segregation in the
early 20th century.
While the reasons they were
founded are much less prevalent
today than they were in 1930 when
the NPHC was formally founded, it
is still perfectly acceptable to join
these organizations as a show of
solidarity with family members and
friends who have joined before you
or beside you. Much like historically
black colleges and universities
still in existence today, it is not a
segregation force by Vanderbilt’s
Interfraternity and Panhellenic
councils encouraging the presence
of NPHC chapters. King would not
see this supposed “segregation,”
which is thwarted so many times
throughout the semester when the
IFC and Panhellenic work together
with NPHC to sponsor programs.
Contrary to the ever-popular
argument Greek Life is responsible
for all ills on our campus, the
roughly 42 percent of students who
participate in Greek Life are the
largest contributors to campus life
philanthropically.
Whether Alpha Delta Pi is
hosting the Cinderella Project with
Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Gamma
is hosting Anchor Splash or tons
of girls are running wildly after
a Sigma Chi Derby Hat, you will
find Greeks on this campus doing
what many others are not — giving
back. Martin Luther King Jr. fought
for the disenfranchised AfricanPlease see GREEK SYSTEM, page 7
from a Vanderbilt e-mail address where the identity of the sender is clear or be
accompanied with a phone call to the editor-in-chief. With rare exception, all
letters must be received by 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday. The editor
reserves the right to edit and condense submissions for length as well as clarity.
Lengthy letters that focus on an issue affecting students might be considered
for a guest column at the editor’s discretion.
All submissions become the property of The Hustler and must conform to the
legal standards of Vanderbilt Student Communications, of which The Hustler is a
division.
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4944
(615) 250-8160
Rep. Jim Cooper
U.S. House of Rep.
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4311
(615) 736-5295
Rep. Brenda Gilmore
Tenn. District 54
35 Legislative Plaza
Nashville, TN 37243-0154
(615) 741-1997
misrepresents
VSG situation
To the Editor:
I’m uncertain as to when it became wrong
in the eyes of the current Vanderbilt Student
Government executive board to serve both the
elected legislators and the student body as a
whole. It was my impression VSG was formed
to listen to student opinions on the various
matters of campus, deliberate over the best
course of action to take in order to facilitate
these concerns and then to act in the manner
that best serves student interests. Though I
could certainly be wrong in this interpretation,
as President Cara Bilotta and the Hustler
editorial board seem to believe, I cannot help
but be bewildered at their vehement attack this
past Friday.
Often in the political world, we ask ourselves,
“What did the founding fathers mean when
they wrote this?” We are lucky enough
in this situation to still be able to put this
question toward the prime author of our VSG
Constitution. Former Interhall President Devin
Donovon asserts, “Reid, acting in his capacity
as Speaker of the House, is perfectly within
his rights to create a focus group to ascertain
student opinion on important matters.”
Further, Donovon asks, “Since when did any
student, let alone an executive member of VSG,
need the explicit permission of the student
body president to gather and discuss current
events with other students? When did listening
to the student body become unconstitutional
and worthy of calls for impeachment? I don’t
know what constitution you’re reading, but it is
not the one that I authored with the assistance
of Interhall and SGA.”
As I therefore understand the VSG
Constitution, calls for a vote of no confidence in
order to form an investigation are unnecessary
in this instance — I will personally call for
one myself this Wednesday when the House
convenes, for I have absolutely nothing to
hide. Article III, Section IV, Clause 2 of the VSG
Constitution states it is the duty of the Speaker
to “oversee and coordinate all activities of the
House” and to “serve as chief representative
of the House to the Executive Board.” The only
level of veto power even mentioned in the
Constitution is Article I, Section I, Clause 2,
which states the president holds “veto power
over all motions passed by both the House and
Senate.”
After the intense discussion in The Hustler
last December, several house presidents
came to me this month with the idea of the
focus group to better gauge student opinion
on the matter, in order to formulate a proper
response. These individuals wished to engage
in a dialogue with interested students on the
most appropriate way to handle the sensitive
issue rather than arrogantly draft a resolution
without a discussion on the matter. I thought
it was a great idea, Dean of Students Mark
Bandas thought it was a great idea, and we
decided to move forward with it. I did initially,
and wrongly, call the focus group an ad hoc
committee when I contacted The Hustler about
the event. However, I did send a follow-up
e-mail clarifying this was in fact a focus group.
I’m uncertain as to why The Hustler chose to
print admittedly false information this past
Friday, in light of the fact I had corrected myself
a week prior.
Jarred Amato made a miscalculation when he
decided to not speak to Bandas or me in order
to clarify the information he printed. I spoke
with Bandas the Friday before the executive
board met, not the Monday after the executive
board made its feelings known. Further, I’m
totally at a loss and mildly amused at what the
“listserv password” I supposedly gained access
to actually is — goDores!1873, perhaps? To the
best of my knowledge there is no such thing
as a listserv password at all. Bandas stated he
would send out an e-mail to the entire student
body if any member of the executive board of
VSG approached him with a good idea.
Please see letter, page 7
correction POLIC Y
Accuracy is our profession. As the “Voice of Vanderbilt,” we are committed
to ensuring our work is fair and accurate. Errors of substance will be corrected. With very rare exception, these corrections will be listed on Page 2.
Bring corrections to the Hustler office in Sarratt 130 or e-mail us at editor@
vanderbilthustler.com. You may also report them by telephone to the news line
at (615) 322-2424 or the editor-in-chief at (615) 322-3757.
Sen. Douglas Henry Jr.
Tenn. District 21
11 Legislative Plaza
Nashville, TN 37243-0021
(615) 741-3291
Councilor Ginger Hausser
Metro District 18
521 Chesterfield Avenue
Nashville, TN 37212
(615) 783-0106
www.insidevandy.com The Vanderbilt Hustler
Baldwin: King encouraged critical thinking,
education to overcome social obstacles
From Education, page 6
King
understood
the
significance of a liberal arts
education for every individual
who strives for excellence in
life and in the higher spheres of
human activity, and this too is
important as we recall his legacy
today.
Second, King held education
is a necessary ingredient in the
struggle for freedom, justice
and peace. He valued what
Paulo Freire called “education
for critical consciousness,” and
his own struggle for civil rights
amounted in part to an effort
to translate much of what he
had learned as a student at
Morehouse, Crozer Theological
Seminary and Boston University
into practical action and
practical reality.
Throughout much of his public
life, he worked closely with
student groups and agencies that
employed educational methods
to achieve the ideal of the
integrated society. His thoughts
on “the intellectual-activist type”
are still relevant for students
who are interested in making
constructive contributions to
the struggle against all forms of
bigotry, intolerance, violence
and oppression in our society
and world. Undoubtedly, King’s
insistence on an inseparable
link between education and
social praxis remains one of
his greatest challenges to the
academic community.
Third,
King
maintained
education prepares one to
live and function properly
in a democratic society. For
him, ignorance and a carefully
orchestrated
system
of
miseducation accounted largely
for the failures of participatory
democracy in the United States.
King believed through the
proper educational methods,
individuals
become
well
equipped to participate in a
society in which the rights and
privileges of all are appreciated,
embraced and celebrated. He
called education “a most vital
and indispensable element” in
the workings of democracy, and
he often said revolution must
be brought into the educational
system before it can be successful
in the social and political arenas
of society. Clearly, King’s legacy
reminds us a culture of genuine
participatory democracy always
hinges on a healthy and inclusive
culture of learning.
Finally, King emphasized the
idea education is an essential
component in creating human
community.
He
insisted
education should instill in
people a healthy sense of their
own essence as social beings
who find authentic existence
through wholesome relations
with other selves. Through
education, he noted, internal
feelings of prejudice and hatred
can be changed.
King’s insistence on the brand
of education that makes people
think critically and creatively and
forces them to keep an open and
analytical mind is still meaningful
for those who seek to overcome
the maze of myths and stereotypes
that have too long separated
people along the lines of race, class,
gender and sexual orientation.
Fortunately, we still have King as a
model for reflection.
“I am a girl. I just want to
say that before you make it
such a priority to point out
to guys that telling girls
they aren’t good enough
is wrong, certain girls,
especially Alyse Andalman,
should consider how
judgmental they are about
guys.”
What is on your mind? The Rant is
your place to anonymously sound off
on any issue you want. Send in your
rants with the subject “Rant” to:
opinion@vanderbilthustler.com
American population of his time, and today,
with the sick, handicapped and children in
need of community support, fraternities and
sororities are doing what he did — fighting
for the disenfranchised.
Not only are they giving back to members
outside the community, but to students here
as well. For instance, Alpa Phi Alpha Fraternity
Inc. holds programs to help students prepare
for graduate school exams and interviews. It is
then up to individual students — both Greek
and non-Greek — to utilize programs such as
this, as opposed to shunning them because
they come with Greek letters attached. King
would come to Vanderbilt and see groups
of students bonding together under similar
goals and precepts in order to work for change
—Lewis V. Baldwin is a professor
in the department of religious
studies. He can be reached at
lewis.v.baldwin@vanderbilt.edu.
“This Mike
Warren
character is a polarizing
right-wing kook. I don’t
want to read Rush
Limbaugh’s nutty opinions
every time I pick up The
Hustler. News works just
fine.”
in their communities and the world.
I don’t believe he would bring up the flaws
so many students constantly pick at. Instead,
he would see the good things about Greek life
so many here have ignored.
“The Commons doors
close at midnight. Stop
knocking.”
—Danny Neelon is a junior in the College
of Arts and Science. He can be reached at
daniel.p.neelon@vanderbilt.edu.
“Andrew Solomon is
hilarious ... and sexist.”
SIMON: Situation blown out of proportion
From letter, page 6
I would like to close by
addressing the charge the
Hustler editors leveled against
me — how I am “willing to
betray the organization that
(I) want to lead.” This is the
one statement in all of Friday’s
attention that actually irritates
me. The entire matter needs to
be kept in perspective — this
is all really about one little
informational meeting. Bilotta
and The Hustler both attempt
to place a magnifying glass
over the situation, merely to
“Why doesn’t North have
a first floor entrance after
8pm?
“When my suitemates have
sleepovers in our common
room at 3 am in the
morning, and I am thirsty,
they need to move.”
neelon: Greek life keeps King’s legacy alive
through service, collaboration
From GREEK SYSTEM, page 6
Monday, January 21, 2008
make it appear larger than it is.
However, illusions will not hide
the facts: House presidents
wished to be more directly
informed from students on
the issue before acting on it,
and to facilitate their desire, I
organized a room and time for
“I had a really good rant
last week, I totally forgot it
and it is devastating.”
them to speak to students. I will
continue to serve as Speaker of
the House, and refuse to act
under any auspices not in the
best interests of students.
Reid Simon
VSG Speaker of the House
“The Memorial Maniacs
make me embarassed to be
a fan at Vanderbilt.”
Compiled by Katherine Miller
7
8
Monday, January 21, 2008 The Vanderbilt Hustler www.insidevandy.com
SPORTS
DOWN
RUN Neltner torches former team Offense
THE
W2W4
Tuesday, 8 p.m.
No. 6 Tennessee at
Kentucky
A white-hot Tennessee
squad takes its perfect
in-conference record into
legendary Rupp Arena to
take on a Kentucky team
looking to reassert itself
after falling in overtime
to the Florida Gators on
Saturday night.
Player of
The Week
Courtney Ulery,
Women’s Tennis
Coming into the season
ranked 13th nationally
in singles, Ulery has
lived up to that title
thus far. She put on a
clinic in her first match
of the young season,
winning in straight sets
6-0, 6-0 over Martie
Wahl from TennesseeMartin. She also beat
another nationally
ranked opponent in No.
85 Sandra Zmak 6-1,
3-6, 6-2 when Vanderbilt
moved to 2-0 in their win
over New Mexico.
Game of
the Week
WBB: Vanderbilt 67,
No. 11 Georgia 59
Powered by a 16-0
run to start the game,
a fired-up Vanderbilt
squad was able to
distance itself early from
a highly touted Georgia
team that suffered from
an uncharacteristic
20 turnovers. Junior
Christina Wirth led the
Dores with 16 points.
Theysaidit…
“We needed to win.”
kevin stallings
The Vanderbilt basketball
coach made that
statement after the
Commodores’ (17-2, 2-2)
resounding victory over
LSU that halted their
two-game losing streak.
Daily #
1,702
The total number of
points scored by senior
swingman Shan Foster
throughout his illustrious
career after Saturday’s
game, moving him
into fourth place on
Vanderbilt’s all-time
scoring list.
SEC Standings
Eastern Division:
Tennessee 3-0, 16-1
Florida 3-1, 16-3
Georgia 2-1, 11-5
Vanderbilt 2-2, 17-2
Kentucky 1-2, 7-9
South Carolina, 1-2, 9-8
Western Division:
Mississippi State 4-0, 13-5
Ole Miss 2-2, 15-2
Arkansas 2-2, 13-5
Auburn 2-2, 11-5
Alabama 0-4, 11-8
LSU 0-4, 7-11
Compiled by David Namm
gets back
on track
Forward scores 16 points as
Vandy tames Tigers.
by Eric silver
Asst Sports Editor
For some people, it may have seemed like payback, an “I
told you so” performance.
For Ross Neltner, it was just another game.
The senior forward scored 16 points and committed no
turnovers in a 92-76 victory over the struggling Tigers on
Saturday.
“I thought Ross was terrific,” said Vanderbilt head coach
Kevin Stallings. “He picked his spots, he took the ball to the
basket when he should, and he shot it from the perimeter
when he should.”
The last couple of games had been tough for Neltner as
he struggled with turnovers and foul trouble. On Saturday,
when asked which stat jumped out at him — his 16 points
or his zero turnovers — Neltner was quick to respond.
“Zero turnovers,” said Neltner. “The way we’ve been
playing lately — turning the ball over — wasn’t going to
get it done in the (Southeastern Conference). That was
something we focused on individually and collectively,
and it worked out for us. Eight (Vandy turnovers) to 21
(LSU turnovers) ­— if we keep playing like that, we’re going
to get a lot of wins.”
Despite the shaky play recently, Stallings kept his faith in
Neltner, and it certainly paid off.
“Ross is a very steadying influence for our team, and I
don’t know what happened to him in the last two games,”
Stallings said. “But I’m not worried about it because he’s
one of our toughest guys, if not our toughest, so he’s going
to bounce back. Fortunately, he did today.”
Neltner was all over the floor against LSU, grabbing
five rebounds to go along with two steals and a block in
27 minutes. He often had his way with the Tigers’ young
defense, slicing through the lane multiple times for easy
layups, a testament to his maturity.
“Ross is a good, solid player,” said LSU head coach John
Brady. “He’s a fifth-year senior, and he plays like one.”
If there were any hard feelings between the 6-foot-9
forward and his former team, he didn’t let them be
known.
“It was just like any other game, just trying to go out
there and help my team win,” Neltner said. “(Playing for
LSU) was three years ago. It’s always fun to have a good
game against anybody, but not necessarily against LSU or
Ole Miss or Auburn or anybody else for that matter.”
On Saturday, LSU fans saw what they could have had in
Neltner, who averaged 2.1 points in his two-year tenure
with the Tigers. But for Neltner, it was just another game,
and for the resurgent Commodores, it was just another
victory. ■
—Eric Silver can be reached at eric.b.silver@vanderbilt.
edu
Dores regain touch after
two straight losses.
by David Rutz
Asst Sports Editor
chris phare / The Vanderbilt Hustler
Ross Neltner scored 16 points in Vanderbilt’s 92-76 victory over LSU Saturday. The Tigers had
no answer for their former teammate, who turned in his best game of the season.
Vanderbilt 92, LSU 76
Recap: All five starters scored in double figures as Vanderbilt
halted its two-game losing streak against the reeling Tigers.
Seniors Shan Foster and Alex Gordon led the output with 18
points apiece.
Player of the game: Ross Neltner The Vanderbilt senior bounced
back from a rocky road trip to notch 16 points and five rebounds
against his former team.
It was over when… Vanderbilt took the floor to start the second
half. The Commodores hit four 3-pointers in the first 3:24 to take
a 16-point lead and never looked back.
Stat of the game: 8 Vanderbilt’s turnover total Saturday, its lowest
since last year’s NCAA Tournament loss. The Commodores lost
the ball 22 times Thursday at Tennessee.
Seniors poised for final go-around
After advancing to Sweet
16 a year ago, players
have even bigger goals.
by aleksey dubrovensky
Sports Reporter
Coming off a successful 2007, the
Vanderbilt women’s tennis team is
looking to ace its way to a national
title this season.
Last season’s squad posted a 19-9,
including 9-2 in the Southeastern
Conference, and advanced to the
Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament.
It was the 10th consecutive season
the Commodores had made it to at
least the round of 16.
With five experienced veterans
returning, Vandy has its sights set
even higher.
“We’re very excited about the
possibilities with this team,” said
coach Geoff Macdonald. “We had
a solid fall, and we look to have
continued success with this team.”
Macdonald, who begins his
14th year at the helm of the
Commodores, has assembled a
talented and athletic roster.
This group is headlined by seniors
Caroline Ferrell, Amanda Taylor
and Taka Bertrand, who have all
been named All-SEC at some point
in their careers.
“This is an incredibly talented
group of seniors, and we’re going
to look to them for leadership on
and off the court,” Macdonald
said. “They’ve had great careers
here in their three years. I’m really
looking for all three to finish very
strongly.”
Bertrand, who was the SEC
Freshman of the Year in 2005 and
the SEC Player of the Year in 2006,
looks to add to her reputation for
greatness this season.
“Last year was a bit of an
aberration in that she wasn’t
perfect,” Macdonald said. “The
year before she was absolutely
flawless. I think she’s hungry to
get back to the NCAA tournament
as an individual and to add to her
collection of great awards.”
Taylor is coming off a season
where she was named All-SEC First
Team, compiling a 10-1 record in
conference play and a 23-5 record
overall.
“I’m excited about this season,”
paul levy / VU Media Relations
Senior Amanda Taylor is one of main reasons why the
Commodores have such high expectations for this season.
Taylor said. “We want an SEC title
this year. We feel like it’s on the
horizon.”
Ferrell has battled through
numerous injuries during her
career and had her last season
shortened.
However, she was still a major
contributor last season, winning
a crucial singles match against
eventual
national
champion
Georgia Tech. In 2006, she was
named to the All-SEC Second
Team.
Junior Courtney Ulery comes into
the season as the highest-ranked
player on the Commodores’ roster.
Currently ranked 13th nationally,
Ulery was a Second Team All-SEC
selection last season.
Sophomore Catherine Newman
looks to build on her fantastic
freshman campaign when she had
a 20-7 singles record and garnered
All-SEC First Team honors.
“She’s mentally tough, very
composed, and she concentrates
well,” Macdonald said. “She’s
known for her speed and her ability
to compete.”
One of the newcomers to the
squad is Katie Kilborn, a prep star
from Walton High in Marietta, Ga.
During her four years on Walton’s
squad, the team went 80-0 with four
consecutive state championships.
The other is Keilly Ulery,
Courtney’s younger sister.
“I predict great things for Keilly,”
Macdonald said. “She was a top-20
junior, and we really feel fortunate
to have her at Vanderbilt.”
As well as the team has performed
the past several seasons, it looks to
take the next step this year.
“We’re looking to have a solid
year and improve throughout the
season,” said Ferrell. “We three
seniors have been to three straight
Sweet 16s, so we’re looking to go
a step further this year. We’ve got
a lot of fire and enthusiasm so
this is the year for big things to
happen.” ■
—Aleksey Dubrovensky can be
reached at alex.dubrovensky@
vanderbilt.edu.
After anemic outings by its offense
in losses to Kentucky and Tennessee,
No. 16 Vanderbilt knew it was
essential to come home and show
Louisiana State and the rest of the
country it remains one of the most
dangerous teams in the Southeastern
Conference.
“We wanted to come out and
bounce back,” said senior guard Alex
Gordon. “Everybody wanted to come
out and kick it up a notch.”
That’s exactly what the Dores did.
With Gordon and fellow senior
Shan Foster leading the way with
18 points apiece, all five starters
scored in double figures, and the
Commodores (17-2, 2-2 SEC) rolled
to a 92-76 victory over LSU.
The offensive problems that were
so prevalent in Vanderbilt’s losses
never showed.
“It was important to come out today
and re-establish who we are and the
way we want to be,” said coach Kevin
Stallings.
The improvement in 3-point
shooting
was
particularly
noteworthy. After a terrible night
against Tennessee where they shot
only 3-for-21 from beyond the arc,
the Commodores went 9-for-20 from
long distance and put the game out of
reach early in the second half.
Foster was hot, hitting four of his
first five 3-point attempts, but shaking
off his poor shooting performance
against Tennessee was the last thing
on his mind.
“The most important thing was
coming out and winning this game,”
Foster said.
Against an undermanned LSU
team that used just eight players,
Vanderbilt wanted to keep the game
fast-paced to wear out the Tigers
(7-11, 0-4 SEC).
“Our mentality is to push the ball
every chance we get,” Gordon said.
“Coach wanted us to keep pressure
on them on the offensive end, and
that’s basically what we did.”
The high tempo made an impression
on LSU coach John Brady.
“Vanderbilt is very good,” Brady
said. “They force you to play at a
certain speed, and they want to play
quick.”
Senior Ross Neltner, who finished
with 16 points, thought the fast pace
was to Vanderbilt’s advantage.
“I feel like we have the speed and
athleticism at a lot of our positions to
get the ball out and go, and we can
get a lot of easy buckets that way,”
Neltner said.
While the high-powered offensive
showing was a return to form for the
Commodores, an image they certainly
wanted to lose was a propensity for
turnovers.
A combined 43 turnovers in their
last two games had been a major
factor in their failure to establish any
offensive rhythm.
Saturday was a different story.
Vanderbilt had 21 assists and
just eight turnovers, an amazing
turnaround from its last two games.
The catalyst of this efficiency was
sophomore point guard Jermaine
Beal. Along with scoring 10 points,
he notched nine assists with zero
turnovers.
“That’s a pretty good day for a point
guard,” Stallings said.
An
excellent
all-around
performance on the offensive side
of the ball was absolutely what the
doctor ordered to cure Vanderbilt’s
recent woes and snap a two-game
losing streak.
“This was a critical game for us,
without question,” Stallings said.
“By and large, I thought our players
played like it.” ■
—David Rutz can be reached at
david.c.rutz@vanderbilt.edu.
www.insidevandy.com The Vanderbilt Hustler
?
What is this?
The Vanderbilt Hustler presents
derrick byars
REGIONAL
Second Round
round
WHO’S
NOW
Shan Foster, senior
Basketball, guard
1
4
MIKIE MINOR, sophomore
Baseball, Pitcher
There is a lot to like about
Minor, the dominant lefty
who’s poised to become
the Friday night starter for
one of college baseball’s
best programs. Still, it’ll
be tough for him to upset
Foster, the sweet-shooting
senior who is fast becoming a household name
across the country.
voting CRITERIA
• Individual accolades
How big is your trophy room? Have you broken any school records,
earned All-SEC honors or taken home any big-time awards?
• Team success
You may be talented, but remember the name on the front of the jersey is
more important than the one on the back. Have you led your team to the
Big Dance or won an SEC title?
• National exposure
You may be a hero in Nashville, but do people around the country even
know you exist? Have you earned All-American status or appeared on Mel
Kiper’s Draft Board?
• Fan appeal
You may be big-time, but when you walk around campus, can fans even
recognize you? Do they wear your jersey, cheer for you at games and
friend (maybe even poke) you on Facebook?
• “It” factor
It’s hard to quantify, but do you have the intangibles every star needs?
Second Round
1/21: Byars Regional
1/23: Cutler Regional
1/25: Price Regional
1/28: Davis Regional
Quarterfinals
1/30: Byars and Cutler Regionals
2/1: Price and Davis Regionals
Semifinals
2/4: Byars Winner vs.
Davis Winner
2/6: Cutler Winner vs.
Price Winner
Finals
2/8: Byars/Davis Winner vs.
Cutler/Price Winner
Reveal Champion
2/11
• Led team to 17-6 victory over then-No. 6 South Carolina
• Took over as starting QB midway through season
• Threw for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns
1
8
liz sherwood. . . . . . . . . . 75%
4
5
dominic de la osa. . . . . . 45%
Derrick Byars Regional
Football, Quarterback
Fans love Adams’ competitiveness, and the junior
signal-caller did a good job
leading the Commodore offense, but he’s not quite up
to level of Flaherty, the AllAmerican shortstop with
the killer at-bat music.
1. Shan Foster
8. Josie Earnest
4. Mikie Minor
5. Chris Williams
2. Ryan Flaherty
7. Rita Jorgensen
3. Mackenzi Adams
6. Jen Risper
1. Liz Sherwood
8. Austin Williamson
4. Dominic de la Osa
5. Christina Wirth
2. Jonathan Goff
7. Karen Grygiel
3. Jermaine Beal
6. Catherine Newman
Shan Foster
Mikie Minor
Earl Bennett
Sarah Dennis
Ryan Flaherty
Mackenzi Adams
A.J. Ogilvy
Jacqui Concolino
Liz Sherwood
Christina Wirth
Pedro Alvarez
Mr. C
Jonathan Goff
Jermaine Beal
Alex Gordon
D.J. Moore
jonathan goff
liz sherwood
austin williamson. . . . . 25%
christina wirth . . . . . . . 55%
bracket
1. Pedro Alvarez
8. Jon Curran
4. Mr. C
5. Big C
2. Alex Gordon
7. Vijay Paul
3. D.J. Moore
6. Katie Schulz
82%. . . . . . . . . jonathan goff
18%. . . . . . . . . karen grygiel
dee davis
Regional Champ
(Named Feb. 6)
christina wirth
1. Earl Bennett
8. Leigh-Ann Axt
4. Ross Neltner
5. Sarah Dennis
2. A.J. Ogilvy
7. Margie Curran
3. Jacqui Concolino
6. Ryan Preston
David Price Regional
MACKENZI ADAMS, Junior
The Hustler’s
Take:
Jay Cutler Regional
• Preseason second-team All-American
• “Flash” enters this season with 35-game hitting streak
• Played for Team USA and in Cape Cod League past two summers
• Crowd-favorite for his at-bat music from “The Departed”
Dee Davis Regional
RYAN FLAHERTY, Junior
Baseball, Shortstop
dee
Dee davis
Davis
REGIONAL
First
first Round
round
Results
results
how do i Vote?
Go to www.InsideVandy.com to cast your vote. Voting for the second
round of the Derrick Byars Regional ends Tuesday at 5 p.M. Results will
be posted in the following issue.
First Round
1/11: Derrick Byars Regional
1/14: Jay Cutler Regional
1/16: David Price Regional
1/18: Dee Davis Regional
The Hustler’s
Take:
• 9-1 with 3.09 ERA as No. 2 starter behind David Price in ’07
• Starred for Team USA last summer
• Earned Freshman All-American honors
• Team won SEC regular season and tournament championships
2
3
We’re running a 32-athlete, single-elimination tournament to find
Vanderbilt’s biggest star. You can check out the voting criteria, bracket and
voting schedule below.
schedule
• Leading candidate for SEC Player of the Year
• School’s all-time leader in 3-point shooting
• Also an accomplished pianist and stylish dresser
• “The Truth” helped lead team to Sweet 16 in ’07
9
Monday, January 21, 2008
62%. . . . . . . . . jermaine beal
jermaine beal
38%. . . . . catherine newman
2
7
3
6
Commodores fall to No. 2 Lady Vols
Hustler Staff Report
Despite staying close for much of the
first half, Vanderbilt could not overcome
Candice Parker. The Tennessee junior
recorded another double-double with
19 points and 12 rebounds as the No.
2 Lady Volunteers improved to 16-1
(4-0 Southeastern Conference) on the
season. Vanderbilt overcame an 8-0
deficit to close within three with 5:47
left in the half, but the Vols extended
the margin to 37-24 at the break.
Junior forward Christina Wirth led
the Commodores (13-6, 2-2 SEC) with
a career high-tying 24 points, while
freshman Hannah Tuomi notched
her first career double-double with 10
points and 11 rebounds. Vanderbilt
pulled within 11 after Tuomi’s layup
with 12:52 left, but a 14-3 Tennessee run
effectively put the game out of reach.
Shannon Bobbit, Alexis Hornbuckle
and Alex Fuller also scored in double
figures for the Vols.
The Commodores have the week off
before hosting the Ole Miss Rebels on
Sunday at 2 p.m. As part of a “Jam the
Gym” promotion, all tickets will be $1. ■
The Office of Student Governance and Organizations and the Office Leadership
Development and Intercultural Affairs are teaming up to bring you a series of workshops
that are sure to help you be successful in leading your student organization.
The remaining workshops are as follows:
Officer
Transition
Tuesday, January 22, 5-6:30pm
Sarratt 363
Learn how to be sure that information is effectively
transferred to new officers as well as
great tips for teaching new leaders their duties.
Organization Survival
Tuesday, March 18
5-7pm
Learn how to maintain the momentum
of your organization over long breaks.
Dinner will be provided, so please RSVP to
courtney.n.salters@vanderbilt.edu
for Officer Transition by TODAY
with the name of your organization
and number attending in the subject line.
10
Monday, January 21, 2008 The Vanderbilt Hustler www.insidevandy.com
FUN & GAMES
Ask about
our affordable
online advertising
opportunities
at InsideVandy.com
two elle
A Lifestyle Boutique for Women, Men, and Home
Bring in today’s completed puzzle for a 15% discount!
Call George Fischer at
615-322-1884
SUDOKU: To solve, fill in the blanks so the
numbers 1-9 appear just once in each
horizontal row, vertical column and 3x3 box.
1/18/08 Solutions
JUNIORS and SENIORS!
Want Real-World Advice from Alumni?
Join Us For
Opening Dores Dinners
Sponsored by Alumni Relations
in partnership with the Career Center
“Opening Dores” are informal, intimate dinners on-campus
for 12 students and 5 alumni -all with the same major or post-graduation interest.
Learn what you can do with your VU degree!
Wednesday, January 30
5:30-7:00pm
Finance Focus (non-iBanking)*
Meet alumni in wealth management, banking
and commercial real estate.
Tuesday, February 5
5:30-7:00pm
Non-Clinical Healthcare*
Spend time with alumni in pharmaceutical companies, healthcare
lobbying and consulting and global medical missions.
Y
EAD
ALR LL!
FU
Tuesday, February 19
7-9:00pm
Engineers in Industry
(held in conjunction with E-Week)
Enjoy dinner with alumni engineers in diverse industries.
Wednesday, February 20
5:30-7:00pm
Political Science Majors
Explore the varied paths your poli sci major can take you.
(Must be a political science major to attend!)
Seating is limited to only 12 students, so sign up quickly!
For reservations or more info, contact kate.stuart@vanderbilt.edu.
(Note: you must receive a confirmation email for admittance.)
*Please check the Career Center website (www.vanderbilt.edu/career)
for more information on corresponding events that week.
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